Edward Hawke

Edward Hawke (21 February 1705-16 October 1781) was an Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal Navy of Great Britain and First Lord of the Admiralty from 1766 to 1771, succeeding Charles Saunders and preceding John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich.

Biography
The son of a lawyer, Edward Hawke joined the Royal Navy at the age of 15 in 1720. He saw his first action in 1744, distinguishing himself by his aggression in an otherwise timid British performance against the French and Spanish at Toulon.

The General Chase
Given command of the Western Squadron blockading France's Atlantic coast, in October 1747, he ambushed a French convoy in the mid-Atlantic, 300 miles (500 km) west of Cape Finisterre, capturing six ships of the line serving as escorts. This bold action displayed Hawke's favorite method of operation, the "general chase", in which his ships pursued the enemy as fast as they could without reference to their position in the fleet's line of battle. Hawke also insisted that his captains engage the enemy at close quarters, firing only once within pistol shot. These tactics proved devastating in the battle of Quiberon Bay, making Hawke a national hero. He had risen to be First Lord of the Admiralty by his retirement in 1771.